Transcript of "Press Release: DWR: Drought Management Team "

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Department of Water Resources Names
Drought Management Team to Prepare for a Dry 2014
SACRAMENTO – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has mobilized a new drought
management effort to prepare for and reduce potential impacts of what is expected to be a third
straight dry year in 2014.
DWR Director Mark Cowin said the department is focusing its personnel and programs “to offset
potentially devastating impacts to citizen health, well-being and our economy.”
Cowin has appointed Bill Croyle to lead the effort as department drought manager. Croyle has
30 years of experience in water operations, including seven years as DWR’s flood operations
chief and 23 years with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Jeanine Jones, DWR’s interstate resources manager, was appointed deputy drought manager.
A 30-year DWR veteran, Jones has directed the department’s statewide planning program and
worked on climate change adaptation programs.
Among DWR’s principal concerns is the plight of farmers who must operate with markedly less
water than needed for crops. Especially vulnerable to dry conditions will be farmers –and the
farm communities that depend on agricultural jobs -- on the west side of the San Joaquin
Valley. DWR will also be watching for drinking water impacts in small rural communities whose
fractured rock groundwater sources will be stressed by a third dry year.
Today, Tuesday, December 17, DWR is conducting an agricultural drought-preparedness
workshop for agriculture professionals at California State University, Fresno. The workshop is
being held in Alice Peters Auditorium from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Topics include statewide water
conditions and preparing for a dry 2014; State Water Project (SWP) supplies; groundwater
conditions; water transfers for 2014; pumping efficiency preparedness for drought conditions,
and getting by with less water in orchards and vineyards.
In addition, at a January 7 meeting of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture, the
State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and DWR will be discussing additional actions
by the state to address drought conditions and impacts.
Director Cowin noted that DWR is working with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the
SWRCB to expedite transfers of water from areas with relative abundance to locations with
critical water needs.
“Voluntary water transfers will be key to DWR’s drought response, as they hold the potential to
alleviate critical shortages,” Cowin said. “We are making arrangements to bring additional
resources with expertise in water transfers to advise the Drought Management Team to assure
that the 2014 water transfers approval process is administered efficiently.”

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DWR has released a schedule and process for streamlining water transfers in 2014, as directed
by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s May 20 executive order. “We will continue to work with
voluntary buyers, sellers, the State Water Resources Control Board and the Bureau of
Reclamation to ensure an efficient process,” Cowin said.
California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross complimented DWR on its
efforts to respond quickly. “While 2014 water allocations are not finalized until spring, farmers
and ranchers make key decisions in January and February,” said Secretary Ross. “By acting
now to streamline water transfers and provide clarity, the administration is helping our
agricultural communities prepare for the coming water year.”
Cowin last month announced an initial water allocation of only five percent of requested
deliveries to SWP contractors in 2014. The initial allocation is a conservative estimate of what
DWR expects it can deliver as a percentage of the total amount requested by the public water
agencies that contract for SWP deliveries. “We hope things improve with this winter’s storms,”
Cowin said in making the initial allocation, “but there is no guarantee that 2014 won’t be our
third consecutive dry year.”
Supplementing the water transfer program, DWR is working with the Bureau of Reclamation and
the federal and state wildlife agencies to improve Delta operations next summer to enhance
water delivery capability while meeting endangered species protections.
Cowin said DWR recognizes there will be regional impacts due to dry conditions next year. “It’s
still early in the water year,” he said. “The January and February snow surveys will allow us to
evaluate water conditions on a statewide basis. As we monitor water conditions, we will
consider actions to be included in a potential governor’s drought proclamation.”